---The Ireland map* has reached the ‘Final Forge’ Stage. I've revived this thread from the pits of the Foundry furnace and have examined the contents. Nearly every major concern has been addressed. If there are any other current concerns, please make your voice heard. There will be two days for you to post any objections; if no one has posted any protest aftertwo days the map will be deemed finished with the 'Foundry Brand' of approval and will be submitted for live play. If after two days there is still discussion going on it may continue until said discussion has reached the conclusion that the map has reached its final and polished version.

Post questions and concerns if any.

*(Note: most maps won't go through such a long waiting period as this map and the Space map.)

The colors look OK to me (although the green could be brightened a little), but I think Marvaddin might be right. It's true that "not all continents need to be holdable", but having the Midlands, the East, and the South East right next to each other makes me wonder if any player who starts in that half of the map might be doomed from the start, just because there's nowhere for them to really gain a foothold while other players claim the West and South West.

(Oh, and I think it's great that you're switching to non-directional continent names.)

I'm an Irish citizen...if you're short of the 6 for the breakin game, feel free to call on me...though I suspect there are 6 who are really from Ireland.

Marvaddin wrote:I believe that some continents have more borders than they should, and 5 continents is too much... Just my opinion. Anyone with me?

I think Marv means 6 is too much. If you'll check the first page, it was Marv who called for 5 continents in the first place...

I think 6 is fine.

And Kyle, Donegal is not in the continent of "Northern Ireland", but in the continent of "The North". You're right to point that out, but I'm sure Kevin is well aware of it. Partitioning Donegal from the rest of Ulster wouldn't make sense in a map where the continents are geographical, not political.

Since you are changing the continent names (good idea), a couple of suggestions - three of the old provinces are more or less intact, so Connacht, Munster and Ulster; the other three - you could make the Dublin one The Pale, and the Waterford one Ossory.

rocksolid wrote:I'm an Irish citizen...if you're short of the 6 for the breakin game, feel free to call on me...though I suspect there are 6 who are really from Ireland.

Marvaddin wrote:I believe that some continents have more borders than they should, and 5 continents is too much... Just my opinion. Anyone with me?

I think Marv means 6 is too much. If you'll check the first page, it was Marv who called for 5 continents in the first place...

I think 6 is fine.

And Kyle, Donegal is not in the continent of "Northern Ireland", but in the continent of "The North". You're right to point that out, but I'm sure Kevin is well aware of it. Partitioning Donegal from the rest of Ulster wouldn't make sense in a map where the continents are geographical, not political.

Since you are changing the continent names (good idea), a couple of suggestions - three of the old provinces are more or less intact, so Connacht, Munster and Ulster; the other three - you could make the Dublin one The Pale, and the Waterford one Ossory.

I still think with him changing the continents he should make the country of northern ireland a continent and put donegal as part of the west region, it would also provide an interesting twist since donegal would be like sort of a lone ranger over there in the north bieng part of the west.

Thanks for the suggestions folks. Good idea on Ossory rocksolid, I wouldn't have thought of that, and Sunny South East was a bit too long

I think the midlands and The Pale(as it's now called) as easy enough to hold. Ossary will be tough, but it's got a high value, like Asia on the Classic map. We'll see how it plays out anyway, if things need adjusting I'll certainly do that.

kevinc wrote:Thanks for the suggestions folks. Good idea on Ossory rocksolid, I wouldn't have thought of that, and Sunny South East was a bit too long

I think the midlands and The Pale(as it's now called) as easy enough to hold. Ossary will be tough, but it's got a high value, like Asia on the Classic map. We'll see how it plays out anyway, if things need adjusting I'll certainly do that.

The Ireland Map is still currently going through a final hammering out stage. And there still seems to be discussion going on, so I will not rush it. Only once there is a general Foundry consensus that the map is ready, will it be on the site for live play. Submitting it before the map has receieved the 'Foundry Brand' will only hinder it more.

--Andy

Last edited by AndyDufresne on Wed May 31, 2006 5:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Since I was one of the ones who voiced objection, I want to make it explicit that I'd be willing to accept the map as it is. While I'd prefer to see The Pale or Ossory with one border fewer (with an appropriate recalculation of its bonus), I wouldn't hold up the final forging over it.

The aspect of the map is great, but i think its the only really good point.
The continent bonuses, for example, are crazy: Midlands 4, and Connaught 2 for example; or Ulster 4 and Ossory 6. Totally unbalanced.

Midlands easy enough to hold? Of course it isnt. It can be attacked from 8 different locations. As the Pale, too. These continents are lost land, unless you have peacemaker neighbours.

I still believe that Midlands and Pale should be only one continent. It would be a bigger one... To add some balance, you could block routes between Cavan and Fermannagh, Wexford and Wicklow.

Are you lazy? Shouldnt you justify your option? Jota also thinks there are many borders... I believe those continents are unplayable, and I would like to see something done, so I could enjoy the map. The bonuses should be revised, too. Both things kill the map.

Its just my opinion, dont becomes angry, but I believe this map have really really serious errors, almost as Indochina map. I insist in the matter because you worked hard, the map can be a very good one, but it will not this way, despite the great graphics. Its not the same situation as the Middle Earth map. There, I dislike some things, but I see it working, and not here.

Please, pleeeease reconsider it. If I knew it would be this way, I would not suggest 5 continents, with 4 it was better.

The way I see it, there are two easily holdable continents (Connacht and Munster), one challenging one (Ulster) and three that are very difficult to hold (the Leinster ones). If there were only five continents, I think the two Leinster ones that would result would still be fairly difficult to hold, and would probably only get held at the end of the game when it doesn't matter, if ever - not really a big change, even if the borders were reduced by putting, say, the Wicklow mts between a combined The Pale/Mide and Ossory. I think the main rationale for decreasing the number of continents would have to be the increasing of the number of holdable continents, and therefore the number of players who can "find a home" in a game on the map, which I don't really see happening even if there are only 5 continents. While I see the problem Marv is worried about - Leinster is unholdable - reducing the number of continents won't really solve it, as I see it, though it could mitigate it a little. And I think it's reasonable to argue that by keeping the number of continents high, and thereby keeping them small, there's just as good a chance of their being held, especially if (as with Europe on the classic map) other players tend to fortify out of Leinster in despair.

So, in sum, I think it could go either way. Unless (and even if) more natural boundaries are thrown in - say, the royal canal, or the Wicklow mts - Leinster is probably doomed to be a no man's land no matter how many continents make it up. And I don't like the idea of more natural boundaries than are already here, because you can walk from one side of the island to the other unhindered (been done ), and I like maps to stay relatively diligent to geography.

So maybe it should be changed, maybe not, but I think it's hard to say ahead of time without playing it. I think Kevin will be as ready as anybody to alter the number of continents in a month or so if he doesn't like how it's playing out.